Tuesday 15 September 2009 07.13 EDT
First published on Tuesday 15 September 2009 07.13 EDT

12.15pm: Les Hinton will be live via a videolink from New York from 2.30pm today to answer questions about allegations of phone hacking at the News of the World.

The scandal first came to public prominence in 2007 when NoW royal editor Clive Goodman admitted conspiracy to intercept phone calls "without lawful authority". The then NoW editor, Andy Coulson, apologised to the Prince of Wales and News International's executive chairman at the time (and PCC code of practice committee chairman), Hinton, told MPs that Goodman acted alone.

However, the House of Commons select committee reopened its investigation into the scandal after the Guardian revealed that PFA chairman Gordon Taylor sued the News of the World for its involvement in illegal interception of messages on his phone but the high court sealed the file and NoW paid him more than £400,000 in damages.

Now Hinton, who has moved to New York to run Rupert Murdoch's recent acquisitions, Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal, will have to explain why he said the problem was isolated when it was actually more widespread.

2.28pm: My colleague Caroline Davies is down at the Select Committee but I am in the office, just waiting for the HoC video to start playing! Any second now, hopefully

2.34pm: We now have a video picture coming from the committee room, but its static and sans audio. You can watch it youselves here.

2.36pm:Les Hinton, looking rather like Big Brother on the video screen, is now giving evidence.

"There was never any evidence delivered to me that suggested that the conduct of Clive Goodman spread beyond him."

2.38pm: Hinton: "No emails that brought further suspicion came to my attention."

He says Colin Myler brought in to edit NoW to ensure no further misconduct would go on.

He says Myler did not come forward with any concerns beyond Goodman.

"I was not aware of Neville Thurlbeck being involved."

2.40pm: Philip Davies to ask question: Given that not all stories were about the Royal family and Goodman was Royal reporter, did you not suspect other reporters?

Hinton: Police conducted an exhaustive inquiry. Scotland Yard found no further evidence.

Says Yates said that Guardian story presented no new evidence.

No clear evidence, lots of gossip.

"The News of the World is populated by hard-working, decent people."

2.43pm: Hinton: There was a lot of gossip, a lot speculation, accusations."We went to extraordinary lengths [investigating claims]. There was only so much we could do retroactively."

2.44pm: Hinton: Says he "honestly doesn't know" about payments to Goodman. If we paid their legal fees the company would know, but I don't.

2.46pm: Hinton says he authorised settlements with Goodman and Mulcaire.

Davies points out that they had committed criminal acts.

Hinton: "Employment law is complicated. I was told we should settle. And I authorised it."

Hinton admits it is "unusual" to make payments to people who left in such a manner. Says "there was a lot of things going on at the time" and his priority was "to get the NoW back to normal".

2.51pm: Hinton suggests that MPs can continue working when accused of criminal acts!

2.51pm: Davies suggests payments were to stop Goodman and Mulcaire "spilling the beans" about activities of others at the NoW.

Hinton says: "I do not know what silence you are talking about. It is wrong to assume that."

No mention there of the fact that Goodman and Mulcaire pleaded guilty and thus did not give evidence in court.

2.53pm: It is pointed out by Adam Price MP that judge says there were other activities.

Hinton again points out that "Yates of the Yard" says there was no need for further prosecution.

2.55pm: Hinton: "I have never done a Neville count on the NoW." when asked about the email trail that links to Neville Thurlbeck.

Price points out that junior reporter involved in the email trail is now "permanently resident in Peru having left the NoW".

2.56pm: Price says: How could Goodman have grounds for unfair dismissal?Hinton: Legal dept said that Goodman was entitled to legal settlement.

2.58pm: Hinton says he can't remember why there was a confidentiality clause or who suggested it.

2.58pm: Byline on story was Goodman and Thurlbeck. Price asks: "Did no-one think to ask Thurlbeck about the provenance of the story?"

Hinton says he knew nothing about the story.

Price says everyone has been pleading the fifth amendment.

Hinton says he did not plead the fifth amendment. He just can't remember the details of every story.

Price points out that it was quite a major story as it involved hacking into the phones of two princes.

3.02pm: Hinton: The point about a newspaper is that the information comes from the bottom up. The most important thing is that the reporters at the coal face are aware of when it is proper and improper to use borderline methods to gain information.

3.03pm: Hinton in charge of five newspapers. Says that all the papers were reinforced about what was proper after Goodman case.He says he wasn't worried about the Times Literary Supplement.(I think that was a joke. Nobody laughed).

3.05pm: Hinton: At least the editor has to take responsibility.If a major act is being carried out to discover information in the public interest, i would expect the editor to be aware.

Tom Watson asks: "What did Rupert Murdoch think about all this?"

Hinton: "He was very concerned.""If anyone were found conducting themselves in the way that Clive Good man did there is no question there would be instant dismissal."

3.07pm: Hinton: Yard investigated thoroughly but only prosecuted Goodman and Mulcaire. "I imagine the police would make an investigation as broad as they would see fit."

Hinton: "I do not know who else's phones were hacked by the NoW."

Hinton now says that he is unaware of the details of Gordon Taylor case and whether his phones were hacked.

3.10pm: MPs listing a number of celebrities whose phones were "tapped" by Glenn Mulcaire and admitted by his counsel at court: Elle Macpherson, Max Clifford etc

Hinton says there was no evidence that this was for the NoW.

3.11pm: Hinton is asked about culture of cash payments for stories.

Hinton says NoW has a great tradition of investigative journalism. He says that Lord Archer was jailed (and yet is still in House of Lords framing laws) after NoW investigation.

When asked the question again, Hinton admits that "on occasion" the NoW would make payments for stories.

3.13pm: Paul Farrelly MP is up (Full disclosure: He is a former Observer journalist): We have asked you back here because you responded in the affirmative about whether there had been a full and rigorous investigation. On what basis did you give that answer?

Hinton: "When it all happened I said to Andy Coulson we have got to make certain we know everything that has gone on."Lawyer Tom Crone brought in too.No-one else except Clive Goodman involved.Andy felt a massive burden of responsibility.Everyone was pretty exhausted by it all.Again he focuses on Colin Myler's role to clean up and focus on leadership to the future.

3.20pm: Farrelly: Did you rely on a briefing from Andy Coulson?

Hinton: My conversations mainly with Andy and Tom Crone.

Farrelly: You left in 2007 to move to NY. How many investigations had the company conducted by the time you left?

Hinton doesn't answer and points out Myler's clean-up role again.He adds: Rewriting people's contracts to make sure no-one behaved like Clive had. (Which begs the question: What contract could have previously existed that would have allowed that behaviour?)

3.23pm: Farrelly now brings in Mulcaire/Miskew contract. Did that ever come up in conversation with Coulson?

Hinton: "I don't recall that ever coming up."

Then firmed up to: "It did not come up in any conversation with me."

Farrelly asks about invoices and paperwork.

Hinton says he thought it was all cash payments. "I don't remember paperwork."

3.26pm: Farrelly: Tom Crone says April 2008 was first recollection of Gordon Taylor. Says Crone then admits it may have been mentioned at trial in 2007.

Hinton: "It was my impression they were being very conscientious."

"It was not the climate that there were lots of guilty men around the NoW."

3.27pm: Farrelly: In hindsight do you think you should have investigated more thoroughly.

Hinton says that he was "sincere" when he said two years ago that it was thoroughly investigated.

Hinton: Andy, Tom, Colin: They worked very hard to uncover any activities.

3.39pm: Chairman John Whittingdale returns to the email about the transcript for Neville Thurlbeck.

Hinton says he did not look through emails personally. "No further emails that raised any suspicion were brought to my attention."

3.41pm: Phillip Davies asks if Hinton given any advice about giving evidence.

Hinton says he was given a Q&A about questions he may be asked (they were 70% wrong).

Davies says Crone and Kutner and Hinton given very similar evidence. Was your advice to say that you don't know anything and don't remember anything?

Hinton says he has not been very involved with this matter because he is in NY.

He says he cared that his previous evidence and did not want the committee to think that he misled them during previous hearings.

3.48pm: Tom Watson asks: When Colin Myler talked to us he said cash payments had been reduced. Were you responsible for making that happen?

Hinton says Colin did that because control of cash payments was a troublesome area.

Watson asks if Hinton is confident that other NI titles tightened up cash payments.

Hinton says Times and ST "generally" do not get involved in cash payments.

Watson asks if Hinton is confident that the Sun learnt from NoW experiences.

Hinton: "I would be very surprised if they haven't."

3.51pm: Hinton says massive amount of work has gone on within the industry. Particularly in the way that new digital technology can be accessed. A lot of work done across the industry to tighten up, although he admits "maybe more could be done".

They are now debating whether rummaging through bins is ever acceptable and, if so, how it would be authorised.

Hinton says he can hypothetically see why borderline activities can be warranted for public interest investigations.

3.55pm: Farrelly points out that events could have been much more public if Goodman and Mulcaire had not pleaded guilty and avoided being cross-examined.

3.58pm: Price: The judge summing up at the trial pointed out that "Goodman had operated in an environment where ethical lines were not clearly defined."

Hinton: "It is not clear to me that he was referring to the whole of the NoW."NoW is a "fine newspaper", although he accepts it may not always have acted entirely acceptable.

4.04pm: And it's all over.

To recap, in a much shorter form: Hinton says the investigation was thorough, as was the police's; Colin Myler came in with a new broom and made it all better; and when it came to settling with Goodman and Mulcaire it was simply a matter of the best course of action and nothing to do with hiding away from any further revelations.